Position

Position An investor’s stake in a particular share or market; the number of shares owned (long position) or the number of shares owed (short position). As a verb the term ‘to take a position’ means ‘to acquire a net inventory, long or short, in a particular share,’ i.e., if the investor has bought 1000 shares, he has built a long position, whereas if he has sold 1000 shares which he does not possess, he has taken a short position.